The Check-In Checkup

Posted on Sun May 14th, 2023 @ 3:46am by Lieutenant JG Willow Wales (Kosugi) & Lieutenant Commander Timia Svidi & Cadet First Class Pallas

Mission: The Goddess
Location: Sickbay, USS Gladiator
Timeline: Backpost
1579 words - 3.2 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

Physicals were one of the least favorite things about StarFleet service for Aarva. She hated being examined and scrutinized like a specimen, for one, coupled with the subpar image of herself that she carried with her everywhere... well, suffice to say it didn't make for a whole lot of confidence.

Nonetheless she'd learned to bite the bullet, appear in sickbay and have herself checked, praying that the visit would be merficully short. Usually they were. That was what she did immediately after setting her bags down in her quarters, walking into sickbay with a nervous smile. "H-Hello? Um. I'm here for my physical." She said meekly.

"Of course you are, *Ensign* Aarva," Pallas said with a smirk as she stood from behind her work station and greeted her Academy friend. "Long time no see," she joked. "I am glad you are here on time; Doctor Svidi appreciates punctuality. You can sit down over here," she led the engineer over to an examination bed. "Let me go see if she is ready."

Pallas made her way to the Chief's office and stuck her head in. "Doctor Svidi, Ensign Aarva is her for her baseline physical. Would you allow me to observe you while you conduct it?"

Timia looked up at the cadet on rotation and raised a brow, "There are privacy rules, so I can not just willy nilly have you observe someone's medical exam. The patient will have to give permission." she said as she stood up. She walked out of the office next to Pallas and arched her brow at the quivering waif near the reception station. "What the hell is star fleet producing these days?" she sighed with annoyance.

Aarva forced herself to straighten up as much as she could. Like everyone else she'd worked her way through Starfleet, enduring years of lectures, practicum, PT and other difficulties and obstacles to earn the pip on her collar, sometimes with her face planted in the floor, but she'd made it - and the one biggest thing she didn't like was people thinking that she hadn't, like this doctor clearly did. "I am an engineer, ma'am." She said, clearly forcing her voice to steady as she spoke. "I'm here for my physical before I report to my first duty shift." She didn't exactly expect the doctor's attitude to flip 180 degrees - the tone of her voice implied that she didn't quite like what she'd seen at first blush, after all - but she wasn't about to melt in front of her like a first-year cadet.

"Cadet Pallas is welcome to observe if she likes." She added.

Pallas smiled reassuringly at Aarva, and sighed relief to herself. She had held her tongue at the Doctor's admonition about privacy; the cadet was well-aware about the procedures, and also knew that the Doctor's reaction had been very much Pallas's fault, as she had not clarified that Aarva would agree to the request. Nonetheless, it seemed like no harm had occurred, though she was now concerned primarily by how tense her friend looked.

Timia looked between them and gave a solid hurumph before motioning to her exam area, a bio bed near the wall. The fact Pallas was on medical rotation was the only reason she did not protest. "Alright Aarfa, have a seat on the bio bed, and tell me your woes." she said as she pulled up the Ensigns file on her smaller bed side screen.

The CMO didn't much like her. That much was absolutely evident from the disdain with which she eyed her. Aarva felt almost terrified to take her eyes off the doctor as she walked up to and sat on the biobed, almost as if she were about to eat her alive if she so much as let down her guard the smallest fraction.

Aarva herself was a medical oddity, period - shorter and a bit curvier and more filled out than basically any one member of her species at just under five feet and four inches and with purple eyes that (why, god, why) had to be sensitive to light of all things and so required her to don gogglelike transition glasses... all wrapped up in a ball of nervous, socially awkward flesh. In essence, she was pretty freaking weird to look at out of the box, so to speak.

"I don't have woes, ma'am. I'm just here for a routine physical checkup." She insisted. "As is protocol, isn't it? And... it's Aarva. Not Aarf>a."

"Every one has woes, Even Kelpians have body language and your body language is already telling me a hell of a story." Timia said as she opened her tricorder and began her scan. She honestly had never examined a Kelpian before, however, she was warned one would be coming onboard and so had studied as best she could about them. What kind of CMO would she be with out some knowledge. "I take you still have your ganglia Aarf...va? Damn it really? Two of the oddest members of the crew with essentially the same name." she looked at Pallas and shook her head, "I already have a head ache."

"Yes, ma'am." Aarfa? There was someone on board called Aarfa? Was that why she'd mispronounced her name? That was kind of funny, actually, though that still left her to wonder who this Aarfa person was. Maybe someday she'd get to meet them. Her ganglia strained a little in the back of her head; clearly she was getting a teensy bit nervous.

"Would you like a hypospray anti-inflammatory for that?" Pallas asked the Doctor with a helpful smile. "And from what I have seen so far of this ship, I think there may be some other crew members who might take issue with your claim that Aarfa and Aarva are the two most unusual. We do have a sentient holographic program as the Captain's yeoman..."

Aarva was feeling just a little bit ignored, they were talking over her head. Don't they know she was still here? "Look can't I just get the go ahead and get to work?" Aarva cringing just a little bit. Maybe she shouldn't be so outspoken, Doctor Svidi was very scary, and Aarva really wanted to get out of the presence of Pallas. She was feeling some tears start to well up and needed to go somewhere to regain her composure, she nervously adjusted her glasses, just wanting to leave.

"Hey there, friend, it will be okay," Pallas said in her best bedside manner as she moved over to Aarva. "She is just nervous, I think, Doctor. Bad experiences with doctors."

Aarva sniffled just a small amount, looking at Pallas then sneaking a look at Doctor Svidi, wishing she had her padd.

"Need something to distract you?" Pallas asked the ensign when she saw her looking about uncomfortably. "Would it help if I held your hand?" she asked compassionately, with no hint of judgment, but completely unaware as to how the offer might be taken by the already unnerved Kelpian.

Aarva's eyes went rather wide, at that invitation. If she even touched Pallas hand... oh why not. Just that mere contact. She nodded, feeling her heart beating rapidly. Aarva's attention was interrupted by some loud voices.

Pallas smiled at Aarva's wide-eyed expression. It was clear that her friend was in more distress than she was willing to admit, the cadet thought to herself as she began to reach for the Kelpian's hand. However, right as her fingers glanced Aarva's skin, a loud noise coming from the front door interrupted, and her hand pulled away as she turned toward the commotion.

"I said I do not need attention right now. Its a minor injury, I've been able to put my shoulder back into its socket before." groused the ensign coming in.

"A dislocated shoulder with how it looks, and a broken clavicle. You need to get right on that biobed so you can get treated." Willow stated coming into view, gently bringing the injured man in.

"I am not feeling any pain right now." the ensign exclaimed. "Besides I've been injured playing rugby before. So nothing new."

Willow looked at Timia, Pallas and then at Aarva. "Sorry for the interruption, a rugby game got a little bit heated. We've got three more coming in."

Aarva quickly withdrew her hand from Pallas' hand. "Um thank you, if I have the go ahead to get to work, I'd like to get going now. I've taken up enough of your time." Aarva looked at both Pallas and watched as Timia moved away from her, to what seemed to be something more important, injured crewmembers.

Willow came over to where Pallas and Aarva were at. "The doctor told me that you are free to go, Ensign. Doctor Svidi is needing Cadet Pallas at this time."

Pallas frowned, knowing how hard it had been to get Aarva in here the first time. "Alright, Aarva, I will see you later then?" She patted her friend on the shoulder before turning toward the incoming patients with bittersweet emotions. Although she was still worried about her former classmate, she was, at the same time, excited to learn about this new sport called 'rugby,' and began trying to figure out how to work questions about this game into her exam of the injured.

Aarva gave a nod, and immediately got off the biobed and left Sickbay quickly.

END